Page 39 of Bennett

Bennett shook his head as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a second key. “I’ve got a spare to your apartment, so I’ll give it to Carter.”

Her brows lifted. “Wow. You really went all out on this whole security thing, huh?”

“Just doing my job,” he replied evenly, though the hint of amusement in her voice made his lips twitch. “You’ll get it back when Carter is done, although I have to assume Brandi’s people will need it to finish the apartment.”

“Yes, definitely.” She nodded, removing a black elastic band from around her wrist before pulling her hair back into a ponytail. “And speaking of Brandi, she told me construction is picking back up today.”

Good to know.

He had a few questions for the workers.

But right now, he had to get a move on. “You heading out?”

“Yeah, gotta get to the diner. I’m already running behind because I took a shower and totally lost track of time.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “You know, real-life problems for us non-watchdog types.”

“Real-life problems like dodging hand sanitizer assassins?”

“I prefer the term ‘creative defense mechanisms.’”

He let out a grudging chuckle. “Fair enough. Need me to walk you over?”

Laurel rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was amused. “What, you think the ghosts are going to mug me on my way to work?”

“No. Just making sure nothing else does.”

Her smile slipped, and for a moment, the air between them thickened with something unspoken. Then she straightened her spine.

“Well, aren’t you just a bundle of sunshine.” She rolled her eyes again but didn’t seem genuinely annoyed. “And here I was going to thank you for the whole door-locking thing.”

“Yeah, about that,” he said, rapping his knuckles off the door again. “Not going to help much if you open the door to anyone who knocks.”

She stared at him, then gave an exaggerated sigh. “Sorry, Sergeant Watchdog. I should’ve asked who it was instead of assuming it was you. Won’t happen again. Satisfied?”

His lips twitched. “For now.”

They stood there in silence, the awkwardness just heavy enough to make him shift his weight. He should have just turned around and left, but the part of him that had spent all night keeping watch wasn’t quite ready to let her out of his sight yet.

“Yay, me.” Her voice was teasing, but her eyes held a hint of something else. Something he couldn’t quite pin down.

“Walk you out?” he asked, moving back.

“Sure, if you’re that desperate for company.” She stepped out and pulled the door shut behind her. “But only if you promise to keep the scowling to a minimum.”

He fought another grin. “No promises.”

Together, they made their way down the stairs and outside, the morning air thick with humidity and the faint, familiar scent of the sea. They paused at the sidewalk, where Laurel adjusted the strap of her bag and turned to face him.

“Well,” she said, flashing him a quick grin, “thanks for the escort, Captain Grumpy. Try not to miss me too much while I’m gone.”

He arched a brow. “I’ll do my best.”

She winked. “Liar.”

With that, she turned and headed off toward the diner, her stride confident and carefree despite the chaos of the pasttwenty-four hours. Admiration warmed his chest as he watched her walk to the diner to make sure she arrived safely.

Once Laurel disappeared inside with a quick, teasing salute, he turned and headed for his rental cottage, his thoughts still tangled up with the stubborn woman who insisted on staying in that damn apartment.

Thirty minutes later, freshly showered and dressed in clean jeans and a black T-shirt, Bennett pushed open the door to ESI headquarters. The cool blast of air conditioning was a welcome contrast to the muggy heat outside, but his mood hadn’t improved much.